AKSCUBA.COM NEWS
February 5, 2012
SITE MAINTENANCE Our old server was limiting and slow. In order to accommodate our changing needs, we have decided to move to a new address. Welcome to it! Unfortunately, the move has interfered with certain of the site's features, including the most popular feature (the forums). Please bear with us for the next few days as we work out some kinks and reenable these features.
With dry suits and all the gear used to get the most out of diving in Alaska, trim and buoyancy control become critical. You need to think about where to put all that weight so that you keep perfect horizontal trim in the water. Also, make sure not to over or under weight. The secret is to do a weight check whenever you change conditions or equipment, and then do another at the beginning and ending of every dive. It's quick - just deflate your BC and dry suit and hold a normal breath; you should have no trouble getting down, because you should be negative (because of the air in your tank). At the end of the dive, do a safety stop and watch your buoyancy while you do. If all goes well, then do a final check just before getting out of the water. You should be perfectly neutral (since you've used the tank air).
This page will eventually list regulations and laws relevant to the dive community in Alaska. For now, make use of the tremendous Alaska Legal Resource Center. It will take you to all of the state regs and statutes.
For fishing regulations, you'll want to visit Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Sport Fish Division website. It has a clickable map that will show you regulations whereever you want to fish. A few notes:
- Spear fishing is allowed, as long as you are fully submerged
- There is an annual limit of 2 sharks, so every shark has to be recorded immediately
Whittier (Prince William Sound regs):
- King Salmon - open all year, 2 per day/4 in possession limit. No size restrictions.
- Other Salmon - open all year, 6 per day/12 in possession limit. No size restrictions.
- Silver Salmon - open all year, 3 per day/3 in possession limit. No size restrictions. Counts against your "Other Salmon" limit
- Halibut - Closed in January, 2 per day/4 in possession limit. No size. Note that you cannot catch 2 limits on the same day or fish by proxy
- Shark - open all year, 1 per day/1 in possession limit. You must record sharks, and there is an annual limit of 2.
- Lingcod - open July - December, 2 per day/4 in possession limit. Must be 35" long, or 28" without a head.
- Rockfish - open all year. From May - September 15, you may only take 5 per day. The rest of the year you may take 10 per day. Limit of 10 in possession year round. Only 2 may be non-pelagic.
- Other ocean finfish - have at 'em. Open all year, no limits.
- King, Tanner, and Dungeness crab - closed.
Seward (North Gulf Coast regs):
- King Salmon - open all year, 1 per day/1 in possession limit. No size restrictions.
- Other Salmon - open all year, 6 per day/6 in possession limit. No size restrictions.
- Silver Salmon - open all year, 3 per day/3 in possession limit. While you are in Resurrection Bay (Seward), the limit bumps up to 6/6. No size restrictions. Counts against your "Other Salmon" limit
- Halibut - Closed in January, 2 per day/4 in possession limit. No size. Note that you cannot catch 2 limits on the same day or fish by proxy
- Shark - open all year, 1 per day/1 in possession limit. You must record sharks, and there is an annual limit of 2.
- Lingcod - open July - December, 2 per day/4 in possession limit. Must be 35" long, or 28" without a head. You cannot take lingcod in Resurrection Bay, and if you have lingcod in your boat you cannot fish in Res. Bay.
- Rockfish - open all year, 5 per day/10 in possession limit. Only 1 per day/2 in possession may be non-pelagic.
- Other ocean finfish - have at 'em. Open all year, no limits.
- King, Tanner, and Dungeness crab - closed.
Homer (Gulf Coast regs):
- King Salmon - open all year, 2 per day/2 in possession limit. No size restrictions. The rules are different north of bluff point
- Other Salmon - open all year, 6 per day/6 in possession limit. No size restrictions.
- Silver Salmon - open all year, 3 per day/3 in possession limit. Counts against your "Other Salmon" limit
- Halibut - Closed in January, 2 per day/4 in possession limit. No size. Note that you cannot catch 2 limits on the same day or fish by proxy
- Shark - open all year, 1 per day/1 in possession limit. You must record sharks, and there is an annual limit of 2.
- Lingcod - open July - December, 2 per day/2 in possession limit. Must be 35" long, or 28" without a head.
- Rockfish - open all year, 5 per day/10 in possession limit. Only 1 per day/2 in possession may be non-pelagic.
- Other ocean finfish - have at 'em. Open all year, no limits.
- King, Tanner, and Dungeness crab - closed.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE